The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns women’s basketball team began their 2024-25 campaign with a 57-55 loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies in DeKalb, Illinois on Monday. The game was a part of the SBC-MAC Challenge.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game began with the first points in the Cajuns’ career for Kamryn Jones, making it 2-0. The teams immediately went back and forth early and often. With the score 7-6, the Cajuns put together a 4-0 run to make it 11-6, but that was quickly answered. A 6-0 run to end the quarter gave Northern Illinois a 15-13 lead after one.
In the second quarter, the Cajuns’ offense started to put things together more effectively. Tamiah Robinson and Lanay Wheaton led the way, as they combined for 17 first half points. Down the stretch of the half, things stayed tight with the lead changing hands multiple times. A 6-0 Louisiana run, similar to the one NIU had at the end of the first, helped the Cajuns match their biggest lead of the game taking a 32-27 advantage into the break.
The Cajuns started putting things together in the third quarter. At 37-34, they put together a quick 6-0 run to make it 43-34. Then, K. Jones made a layup to make it 49-38 and give Louisiana their first double-digit lead of the contest. By the end of three, it was a 51-44 advantage for the Cajuns.
To start the fourth, the Cajuns scored to make it 55-46 with 8:37 to play. Unfortunately, that would be the last point they scored. NIU made some defensive adjustments and Louisiana could not get anything to go. Big threes from Chelby Coker and Reagan Barkema got them back in it, and they eventually took a 57-55 lead. Louisiana got a couple of looks on the final possession, but none came to fruition and they fell by two.
BIG NUMBER: 11
NIU did not shoot the ball great from the inside, but they made 11 threes. That ended up being the difference in the game.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chelby Coker
Coker was playing in her first game in more than a year. She scored a game-high 18 points with also nine assists and nine rebounds.
UP NEXT: The Cajuns will host their home-opener against Loyola-New Orleans on Friday, November 8th at 6:00 PM inside the Cajundome.